Super Mario Saga - Redesigning Super Mario Bros. 3 as a mobile, free-to-play

www.QuarterSpiral.com
Super Mario Saga
casual connect usa | free-to-play track | jul 13
ethan levy | cofounder @quarter spiral | consultant @famousaspect

Game Design Game Production
Metrics & User TestMonetization Consultant
A brief history of Ethan
• 10 years experience as a game developer
• 30+ shipped games, multiple awards and nominations

Enhanced Wars

I get a call
imagine if...

Super Mario Saga
reimagining super mario bros. 3 for touch based free-to-play

design for the platform
•swipe based controls
✦ forward - start run
✦ up - jump
✦ down - crouch
✦ back - stop
✦ double finger tap - super
•reduction of precision based levels
•focus on flow/fluidity

general monetization framework
•identify the core loop
•identify emotions you wish to monetize
•identify opportunities to monetize the core loop
•make the ability to spend money present

evaluating smb3

super mario bros. 3
World
Choose branching levels,
play mini games
Sink time
Tap items
Platform
Finish the obstacle course
before time runs out
Sink lives, items
Tap lives
Gate
Lives
Gate
Boss castles
PayGate:$5

Delight
We can build off of the slightly linear nature of Super Mario Bros. 3 to build
a system dependent upon earning stars instead of pure level completion to
unlock new areas and abilities. Taking queues from games like Candy Crush
Saga and Jetpack Joyride, we will build in systems of achievement that will
motivate players to use a variety of consumable boosts.
Super Mario Bros. 3 is a masterclass in surprise and delight. The player is
introduced to novelties throughout the game that keeps the experience
constantly fresh. In order to monetize emotion, we will introduce elements
like a crafting system that allows the player to unlock new characters for
use with slightly different powers which allow for more novelty.
Achievement

metastructure changes
•Each level is a social leaderboard
•Earn 1 to 3 stars per level based on score
•[bonus stars for completing w/other characters]
•Unlock new worlds based on star totals
Add achievement focus and social competition to game to allow for monetization

time based elements
•Lives regen at 1 per 30 minutes
•Mini games are playable 1 per 24 hours
•EOL reward pays out once 1 per 24 hours
•Add new daily scratcher return mechanic
Add time based gating to encourage daily returns

coins as currency
•Coins no longer grant free life at 100
•Spend coins on entrance to mini games
•Spend coins to buy consumables pre level
•Spend coins to buy mystery box of craft components
•Spend coins to complete crafting tasks
Players can grind for coins, but can purchase them in packages for $$$

toad the craftsman
•EOL reward and Toad mini games grant craftables
✦ Scripted, public facing payout for each
•Craftables + gold turned in for consumables
•Rare craftables + gold to unlock new characters
✦ Princess Peach, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Samus, Link, Wario...
Crafting will be the major coin sink

standard requirements
•Starter pack for straight cash ($20 of value for $5)
•Boost upsell dialog before entering each level
•Contextual upsell on not enough coins, out of lives
•Notifications
Standard elements to make purchasing and returns present

new feature - survival mode
•A weekly high score challenge
•Randomly generated level
•Receive rewards based on making certain distances
•Costs coins to enter
•New level/refreshed leaderboard each week
Coin sink + a piece of inﬁnitely replayable content to keep players engaged

super mario bros. 3
World
Choose branching levels,
play mini games, craft
Sink time, coins, craftables
Tap boosts, craftables
Platform
Finish the obstacle course
before time runs out
Sink lives, consumables
Tap coins, craftables
Gate
Lives
Gate
Stars earned
crafting
lives
consumablesmini games
characters

Continue the conversation...
•Read blog.quarterspiral.com
•Follow @QuarterSpiral
•Contact ethan@quarterspiral.com

Super Mario Saga - Redesigning Super Mario Bros. 3 as a mobile, free-to-play

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Super Mario Saga - Redesigning Super Mario Bros. 3 as a mobile, free-to-play